The Effect of a Bacillus Probiotic and Essential Oils Compared to an Ionophore on the Rumen Microbiome Composition of Feedlot Cattle.

The rising concern of antibiotic growth promoter use in livestock has necessitated the investigation into alternative feed additives. The effect of a probiotic and essential oils to an ionophore on the rumen microbiome composition of Bonsmara bulls raised under feedlot conditions was compared. Forty-eight Bonsmara weaners were allocated to four groups: a group with basal diet (CON) and three groups supplemented with monensin (MON), probiotic (PRO), and essential oils (EO). During the 120 days feeding period, rumen content was collected from four animals per group within each phase via a stomach tube for 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing as well as volatile fatty acid analysis. In the starter phase, MON had a significantly lower acetate to propionate ratio and a higher Succinivibrionaceae abundance. The abundance of Lachnospiraceae was significantly higher in EO compared to MON. In the finisher phase, PRO had a significantly higher bacterial diversity. The alpha diversity did not differ between the fungal populations of the groups. The abundance of Proteobacteria was the lowest in PRO compared to the other groups. Limited variation was observed between the rumen microbiome composition of monensin compared to the other treatment groups, indicating that these alternatives can be considered.

Effect of animal age and trimming practices on the physical composition of Bonsmara beef.

Increased economic incentive for producing young and leaner carcasses, as well as demand for lean meat from progressively health conscious consumers, are considered drivers for change in carcass composition over time. Furthermore, many retailers trim visible fat from meat to various degrees and consumers increasingly remove visible fat from meat prior to, or after, cooking. The objective of this study was to determine the composition of South African Bonsmara beef from four age groups from different production systems, as well as to extrapolate the effect of fat trimming on physical composition. Fat content of marketable beef has decreased notably since the 1930s, and beef from the South African Bonsmara breed contains less than 10g lipid per 100g after trimming of subcutaneous fat, irrespective of age. Removal of all visible fat reduces the lipid content to less than 5g per 100g, comparing favourably with other lean animal products.

Determinação das frequências genotípas e alélicas do polimorfismo de hemoglobina em bovinos da raça bonsmara no norte do Estado do Paraná / Determination of bovine haemoglobin polymorphisms and allelic frequencies in bonsmara cattle in the north of Parana State / Determinación de las frecuencias genotípicas y alélicas del polimorfismo de hemoglobina en ganado de la raza bonsmara en el norte del estado del Paraná

A primeira descrição da separação eletroforética de hemoglobina bovina foi realizada no ano de 1955, sendo atualmente os alelos mais freqüentes A (mais lento) e B (mais rápido), enquanto que, com menor freqüência e com velocidade de migrações variadas, os tipos C, F, Killary, D, G e I. Os diferentes tipos de hemoglobina podem variar segundo a raça analisada. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a existência de polimorfismo, as freqüências genotípicas e alélicas da hemoglobina em animais da raça Bonsmara, raça que gradativamente vem sendo introduzida no Brasil. Foram coletadas 137 amostras de sangue total de diferentes bovinos da raça Bonsmara (puros de origem), com idades variando de três meses a cinco anos e determinou-se o tipo de hemoglobina dos animais no Laboratório de Imunogenética Animal da Unopar, através de eletroforese vertical, em gel de poliacrilamida a 10%. Os fenótipos e genótipos foram determinados utilizando-se a nomenclatura internacional aceita pela International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG). Dos 137 animais analisados, 90 (65,7%) animais apresentaram o genótipo AA; 22 (16,05%) apresentaram AB; 15 (10,95%) apresentaram AI; 6 (4,38%) apresentaram II; 4 (2,92%) apresentaram IB e nenhum animal apresentou o genótipo BB. As freqüências alélicas foram calculadas A (0,7920), B (0,0948) e I (0,1131). Fica evidente que a raça Bonsmara é polimórfica para o locus da hemoglobina e que o alelo I, não encontrado nas raças existentes no Brasil, será introduzido gradativamente no rebanho brasileiro, através dos cruzamentos com os animais da raça Bonsmara.

The first reports on bovine hemoglobin electrophoresis were made in 1955, they are currently the most frequent alleles A (slower) and B (faster). Alleles C, F, Killary, D, G, and I are less frequent. Bovine hemoglobin alleles vary among different breeds. This paper aims to evaluate bovine hemoglobin polymorphisms and allelic frequencies in Bonsmara cattle, recently introduced in Brazil. One hundred-thirty-seven pure bred animals aged from three months to five years were sampled. Samples were analyzed in the UNOPAR Laboratório de Imunogenética through vertical 10%-polyacrylamide gel. Phenotypes and genotypes were established according to the international accepted nomenclature by International Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG). Ninety out of 137 (65.7%) animals were AA, 22 (16.05%) were AB, 15 (10.95) were AI, six (4.38%) were II, four (2.92) were IB, and none BB. Allelic frequencies were calculated: A (0.7920), B (0.0948), and I (0.1131). It is evident that the Bonsmara breed is polymorphic for the hemoglobin locus and that the allele I, not found in the Brazilian herd, will be gradually introduced through the crossbreeding of the Bonsmara.

La primera descripción de la separación electroforesis de hemoglobina bovina fue realizada en el año de 1955, siendo actualmente los alelos más frecuentes A (más lento) y B (más rápido), mientras que, con menor frecuencia y con velocidad de migraciones variadas, los tipos C, F.Killarv, D, G e I. Los diferentes tipos de hemoglobina pueden variar según la raza analizada. Esta investigación tuvo por objeto evaluar la existencia de polimorfismo, las frecuencias genotípicas y alélicas de la hemoglobina en animales de la raza Bonsmara, raza que gradualmente viene siendo introducida en Brasil. Fueron colectadas 137 muestras de sangre total de diferentes bovinos de la raza Bonsmara ( puros de origen), con edades variando de tres meses a cinco años y se determinó el tipo de hemoglobina de los animales en el “Laboratorio de Inmunogenética Animal” de la UNOPAR , a través de electroforesis vertical, en geles de poliacrilamida a 10%. Los fenotipos y genotipos fueron determinados utilizándose la nomenclatura internacional acepta por la Internacional Society for Animal Genetics (ISAG). Dehemálos137 animales analizados, 90 (65,7%) animales presentaron el genotipo AA; 22 (16,05%) presentaron AB; 15 (10,95%) presentaron AI; 6 (4,38%) presentaron II; 4 (2,92%) presentaron IB y ningún animal presentó el genotipo BB. Las frecuencias alélicas fueron calculadas A (0,7920), B (0,0948) e I (0,1131). Es evidente que la raza Bonsmara es polimórfica para el locus Hemoglobina y que el alelo I, no encontrado en las razas existentes en Brasil, será introducido gradualmente en el rebaño brasileño, a través de las cruzas con animales de la raza Bonsmara.